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Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Wedding Wednesday - Waiting for the 1940 Census...

Today I will continue looking into the news clippings I have for the Dart line of my husband's family. The next clipping I came across in the scrapbook was for the wedding of Rita Dart.

"Rita Dart Is Tonet Bride

Special to Press-Gazette

TONET, Wis. - Miss Rita Dart was married to Leonard Delveaux in a ceremony performed here Thursday at St. Martin's church by the Rev. L. A. Dobblesteen. The bridegroom is the son of Mrs. George Bertrand.

The bride wore a dress of velvaray on mousse line de soie, long sleeves and puffed shoulders, and her long lace-edged veil was caught in a tiara of orange blossoms. She carried a bouquet of briar cliff roses, fever few, calla lilies, and pink carnations.

Attending her as maid of honor was Miss Annabelle Willames, and Virgie Johnson and Bertha Dart were bridesmaids. Robert Johnson was best man, and Clifford Dart and Roy Rogers the other attendants.

Wedding dinner and supper were served at the home of the bride's parents with about 30 guests present, and a dance was held in the evening. The couple will live at the home of the bride's parents."

Wow...the bride's parents aren't even mentioned. Not at all helpful. At least they mentioned the husband's parents! Sheesh! And Rita is not in my tree, so here we go again...

So the clipping came from the Green Bay Press-Gazette. Unfortunately, this is one of many that does not have a date on it. I can't really guess her age either, and as I did an Ancestry search there were really no good matches for Rita Dart or Rita Delveaux. That's a bummer. Maybe a relative will visit my blog and make this easy on me.

So I decided to conduct a search on one of the bridesmaids (possibly a sister), Bertha, to see what I'd turn up. I do have a Bertha Dart in my tree. A daughter to Wilbert and Alice Dart nee.....(wait for it)...Delveaux! Keep it in the family...and as sad as that sounds, it really wasn't too far from the truth with our grandparents and those before them. You married someone local. Still, it's not proof and that's what I'm after.

Bertha was found with her parents in the 1930 U.S. Federal Census living in Luxemburg, Kewaunee, Wisconsin (Tonet is also in Kewaunee). Bertha was only 5 years old and there are no other children, so if Clifford and Rita are also children of Wilbert and Alice I will most likely find out when the 1940 census is released.

Looking for the husband for links...there is a death registered in the Wisconsin Death Index, 1959-1997 for Leonard D. Delveaux. He was born around 1923 and died in Green Bay on 24OCT1976. Looking deeper the SSDI has his birth as 22JUN1923 (not primary sources, but still...and to be sure I will be checking for his obituary when I go home). In the 1930 US Federal Census there is a Leonard Delveaux living in Door County, Wisconsin. The son of Annie and Elmer Delveaux. Well, considering the clipping states merely that Leonard Delveaux is the son of Mrs. George Bertrand, that's no help either. I wonder if Elmer Delveaux died young or if they were divorced. Either way, the groom's mother's surname is different than his, so she most likely remarried.

And since my other searches to locate Rita and Leonard were rather disappointing, it looks like I'll be waiting for the 1940 census...and waiting...still waiting...at least it's not too much longer....

UPDATE: While I haven't found (OK, I haven't looked) Rita in the 1940 census yet, I did come across the obituary for Alice Dart nee Delveaux and they only had one child that survived and it was the above mentioned, Bertha. So is this the same Bertha and she was a cousin? Who knows, but I'm still looking!